The Assassin Hunter Stops Time
“Uncle!”
“Ah, Fatima. Su-a! Cake again today?”
In the secretary’s office, Ja-hun looked up with familiar ease and pointed toward the first-floor café. Fatima and Su-a followed his gesture. Fatima waved her hand in refusal.
“No, I came to ask something today.”
But…
“Come on, Su-a. Even if you refuse, at least show some courtesy.”
Fatima giggled and suggested heading to the company’s first-floor café. There, a large hall cake and two sweet drinks made both girls’ faces brighten instantly. Ja-hun asked curiously, “What do you want to ask, then?”
“Mmm… Oh, by the way, where has Do-jin been lately? I haven’t seen his face in a while.”
Fatima swallowed a piece of cake and asked Ja-hun directly. They had caught glimpses of him once or twice a week, yet lately he had sent no word. Ja-hun replied, “Ha Do-jin, the hunter. I don’t know exactly, but from what I heard from the secretary, he’s been incredibly busy preparing something.”
“Preparing?”
Su-a tilted her head. Ja-hun nodded. “Yeah… They say a special dungeon might appear soon, and he’s preparing for it.”
“A dungeon that’s going to appear?”
Fatima looked puzzled. She had studied Korean quite a bit, yet the term still didn’t make sense. “Does that mean a future prediction?” she asked. Ja-hun muttered, “Well… something like that.” Fatima chuckled. “Did Do-jin come from the future? How does he know?”
“That’s what they’re saying.” Su-a chimed in from the side. Yet…
“Still, since you’re experienced, maybe you have a special way of guessing.”
“Hmm… If it’s Do-jin, that could be possible.” Ja-hun agreed quickly. After all, he had seen Do-jin’s abilities firsthand. “Maybe he really knows what dungeons are coming. Hihihi.”
Fatima took a large bite of the cake and smiled happily once more.* * *
Do-jin stepped into the alley beside the golden hall. Just as the vicious man had warned, the entrance was barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways. The bullies at the door could never enter. The space inside looked almost too narrow to hide an outpost. Instead, a sealed commercial building stretched out to the side. That was far more suspicious. ‘Right, with that kind of planning, he must survive.’
Do-jin entered the alley and descended into the basement. A foul stench hit his nose first, but then… “Hm?”
“What the—?”
A group of men sitting on the stairs turned and saw him. Naturally they were the guards. Do-jin had no intention of wasting time on them. *Bang!* He crushed them in an instant and kicked open the heavy iron door with his foot. The panel shattered completely. Inside, several men stood amid piles of money. Hwang Gyeong-il was among them. “What the hell?! How did this kid get in here?!”
The men stared in shock. Do-jin pointed at Gyeong-il. “I’d like you to come with me. Do you mind?” “M-me?” Gyeong-il’s eyes widened. A stranger? Why him? The man beside Jung-yeop spoke first. “A hunter cop?” “No, just a hunter.” “A crazy bastard crawling in alone. If he’s a cop, fine, but a regular hunter?”
Jung-yeop lowered his voice. “What’s he doing? Cut off his guts first. Good thing. Hunter guts sell for a pretty penny.” The threat hung heavy in the air. Yet… *Swaek!* Before Jung-yeop’s men could move, Do-jin’s dagger flew straight toward him. Even a 100+ level hunter couldn’t dodge. *Thud!* The dagger punched straight through Jung-yeop’s forehead. He collapsed without a sound. Blood poured from the wound as the rest of the men froze in place, as if time itself had stopped. An impossible scene. The power embedded in that dagger, the trajectory, the speed—none of it was understandable. All of them were awakening level 70 to 80. Do-jin asked calmly, “Who’s number two?” “Huh? Ah, that… that man there.” “I am number two.” The man standing to Jung-yeop’s right raised his hand politely. Do-jin pointed at Gyeong-il. “Can I take this one?” “Of course. Hey, you! What are you doing?! Move faster!” The number-two man roared at Gyeong-il. Gyeong-il froze, then walked over slowly, trembling. “Will I really go with him like this?” The thought raced through his mind, but he had survived worse before. He had always tried to find a way out. But then… “If you can run, run all you want. But I swear on my life, the moment you leave tomorrow, this will happen.” Do-jin pointed at the fallen Jung-yeop. Gyeong-il’s instincts screamed. This man kept his word. He had no choice but to kneel. “I will serve you as a big brother.” “Big brother!” “From now on, please take good care of me!” The entire group bowed deeply as Gyeong-il’s formal greeting began. Do-jin turned and said, “Handle the rest here. You follow me.” “Yes.” Gyeong-il walked behind him, posture perfectly straight. Who this man was, why he was here—none of it mattered. He was already tied to this place by debt. A life at the bottom of the abyss. Where he went didn’t matter. Staying alive beside the strong was all that mattered. But… *Swoosh.* In a quiet café, Do-jin slid a contract across the table. “Read it. If you don’t like it, you can leave anytime.” “P-pardon?” But Do-jin said nothing more. Coercion could never win someone’s heart. Only fair give and take could build lasting trust. ‘However…’ Gyeong-il’s nature was light; he betrayed anyone who felt even a hint of danger. Some pressure was necessary. For them to work together, he needed to understand why he was needed. Gyeong-il read the contract carefully, then his eyes widened. “O-eight hundred million?!” “From the moment you meet the minimum condition. Including bonuses, you could walk away with ten billion a year.” “Y-yes! I’ll do it!” He didn’t even need to read further. He had once lived like a dog for three hundred million. Ten billion a year? That would make him insane to refuse. ‘After all, I’m already living on borrowed time. What’s there to lose?’ He wasn’t a hunter back then, but he had awakened. Even at level 30, he had entered a dungeon once. He had thought hunting monsters was terrifying and fled. Better to run than die for money. In the underworld he still held some respect as an awakened person. A gray-card normal-grade hunter. But then… “Where are we going…?” Gyeong-il asked cautiously as he followed. Do-jin had said he had somewhere to take him after signing. They arrived at… “Put this on.” Do-jin threw a low-level hunter item from SW Technology onto the floor—weapon and armor. Gyeong-il’s face turned pale. “B-but the contract said I wouldn’t fight…” “You said you read it.” “I did. I thought I was just going to enter a dungeon, no combat, and the contract could be canceled without penalty.” Gyeong-il’s voice rose. It was a legitimate contract, not the dark world of knives and fists. He had no leverage. “Exactly. You can cancel the contract anytime.” Do-jin watched him and thought, People never change. In such a short time he had remembered only what benefited him. That was impressive. Soon Do-jin pulled the contract out again. “For the contract to activate, you must meet the conditions.” “Conditions?” “Look again.” Gyeong-il hurriedly opened it. At the bottom: “Upon reaching level 100, the contract becomes valid.” “B-b-b-billions?!” He had barely clawed his way to level 30, risking his life. Now he had to reach 100? “I-I’ll cancel! No, if I don’t meet the condition, the contract never formed!” “Correct. The contract isn’t active yet.” “Then I’m not doing it! I can’t! Fighting monsters is terrifying!” Gyeong-il stamped his feet. Do-jin watched calmly and nodded. “Then you can leave anytime. But…” His gaze turned ice-cold. “I keep my word. Whatever I say, I will do.” “P-pardon?” Gyeong-il flinched. What had that man said…? Then the memory flashed— *If you can run, run all you want. But I swear, the moment you leave tomorrow, this will happen.* “Ah…” Gyeong-il gasped. Do-jin said, “If you want to leave, go now.” “No, I don’t want to leave. I’m just grateful to have such an opportunity.” “Then take it.” “Y-yes!” Gyeong-il gathered the weapon and armor. He had found the deal of a lifetime… ‘Damn it, why am I crying?’ Back in the dungeon he had entered with Do-jin, Gyeong-il’s sobs echoed for days. The human dungeon detector, Hwang Gyeong-il. He had acquired the man.